Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-01-17

claimed the northern minority were the
victors, comes upon the stage OF aston
fully organized in behRIf OF division,
with Its successful officers openly COM
mitted to that side of the issue. The
southerners who went to the north
joined that section upon the distinct
understanding that they sacrificed none
of their division sentiments by
the coalition and the solid
north does not appear to object
TO the success of this sentiment, 1t is
made manifest that Mr.. Matthews, the
president of the oouaeil, is irrevocably
committed to the two state movement
and at least two of his southern council
associates in the combination share his
sentiments. Referring editorially to
President Matthews, the Huronite says
he has never entered into any of the
admissions -as-a-whole schemes. On the
contrary he Is u pronounced dlvsionist
In every presence and upon every plat
form where it became him to speak he
has steadily held to the propriety and
justice OF division Of the territory by an
east and west line, before admission. The
nine councilmen from the north whose
union made his election secure, voted
Tor him under no concealment of his
thorough convictions on this question.
The fact is that the north had power to
force its choice among first class south
ern men, OF pronounced division senti-
| ment, and that is all.
1t is well known that IN the house the
organization victory was so overwhelm-
ing for division that the man pre-.
ferred by q majority OF that
body for speaker was set
aside for no other REASON than that he
refused to abandon his admission as a
whole sentiments. This was Fletcher,
OF Brown county. He held that he was
committed to anti-diyision by the in
structions of his constituents and he
permitted the speskership to go away
from him rather than commit himself in
Opposition to the expressed views ol
those who sent him. So IN the house
the issue was openly defined and
Speaker Crosse was selected because oil
his uncompromising position in behal
OF two states. Regarding the hous,
organization Augustine Davis writes:
| The truth is that the division question
was the controlling element III the house
and controlled the election, notwith.
standing the absence Of Schusldt, anc
the votes of Mentzer of Mitchell, Sulli.
van of aurora, Miltimore of Hansen. anc
huRgies OF Edmunds for Hobart. Al
least three of these are pronounced
dlvlslonists, and they voted for Hobar
IN spite OF his public declination. They
were held together on the court remova
question and voted for Hobart, with th,
apparent hope OF securing his vote fol
1 their scheme and to avoid the pecessit,
OF their going to north Dakota William
voted WITH them and had it been pos.
slble for their votes to have elected Will
iiams at any time, they would undoabt-
edly have gone to him.
1t is therefore settled that the legisla.
tnre Of Dakota has organized IN favor O
the admission of two states from the
domain of Dakota and the division oil
the territory on or near the forty -sixtl
parallel. With the division sentiment
so strongly prevalent in the leaisIativ,
body We cgn hopefully look for som,
decided action within the Legislature ii
behalf OF the creation OF two states
An enactment providing for two con
stitutional conventions-one for tn
north and one for the south-which CON
tains provision submitting the ques
tion of division to popular vote will bs
satisfactory to the people and would
furnish congress with convincing evi
oence that the people OF Dakota are ii
favor of two states.